If we dare to mention the dreaded S-word in front of little ears during the summer, we are usually met with sighs, grumbles and few stamped feet. For most kids, the best parts about being on holidays from school are getting up late, going to bed late and generally doing whatever, whenever, while eating in between.
Unfortunately, this means you need to get your little one back into some sort of routine before they return to the classroom. Here are five ways to kick-start the process.
Early to bed, early to rise
Now is the time to start getting your little one to go to bed early. If they have been staying up past their normal bedtime, try to send them to bed about 15 minutes earlier every week. This way, depending on their bedtime and what time they go to bed in the summer, they should be back on track just in time for school. Do the same in the mornings until your little one is waking up naturally at 7am or whatever time you need them to get up at.
Get them in learning mode
Ease your child back into some sort of learning mode, by getting them books to read and doing some simple sums with them. This way they will already be in the right frame of mind to do work and it won’t be such a shock when they go back to school. Why not give them a head start by perhaps reading some of their school books for the upcoming year?
Meal times
If you have been a bit lax when it comes to maintaining meal times, try to establish some sort of schedule now. For instance, have breakfast at the kitchen table away from the telly at the same time every morning from now on. Plan snacks and lunch around the time they would have them in school and prepare and serve dinner around the same time they would have it after school.
Reduce TV consumption
Once your child gets stuck watching a television show it can be hard to pull them away from it. To avoid this don’t turn the telly on in the morning and also try to switch it off during the afternoon. This way your little one will start to get used to not having the TV on around the times they are having their breakfast or doing their homework.
No more playing until dark
During the summer it is easy to let your little one play outside with their friends until it gets dark. But while it is great fun for them to run around during the long evenings, try to rein this in about two weeks before school starts. Cut down outdoor play time by about ten minutes every week so that your little one is coming in earlier and earlier and can therefore adjust to term times more easily.
Not that they'll be happy about it...
